The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has worked with states, districts, and high schools since 1988 and with middle-grades schools since 1999 to improve student achievement. SREB followed students tested in 2000 and 2001 from eighth grade through ninth grade and found both middle-grades schools and high schools must find ways for students to "catch up" to success. In this article, SREB offers six steps to a successful middle grades-high school transition, based on its findings. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)